jackson



(No Model.)

- A. L. BAKER & -D. B. JACKSON.

. Gate. No. 240,073. Patented April 12,1881.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT L. BAKER AND DEMONT B. JACKSON, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 24$,073, dated April 12, 1881.

Application filed January 2-2, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that we, ALBERT LEONIDAS BAKER and DEMONT BAKER JACKSON, citi-. Zens of the United States, residing at- Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gates, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements on swinging gates in which the horizontal bars are pivoted or loosejointed to adapt the swinging end of the gates to be raised and lowered upon the hinged end; and the objects of our improvements are to provide an automatically supporting andv releasing device to hold the gate at any desired height either in raising or in lowering its swinging end, thereby rendering such" gates more easily and conveniently adjusted at any desired height from the ground for the passage of small stock, for opening the gate over snow or snow-drifts, and for lowering it to the ground to hold it in a partly-open position. The automatic locking and unlocking function of the supportin g device is rendered effective by the act of raising and of lowering the gate, thereby avoiding the necessity of having to operate and adjust such supporting devices in raising and lowering the gate.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the gate in elevation as closed and supported for ordinary use; Fig. 2, a similar view, the gate being supported in a raisedposition for the passage of small stock and for being opened over snow; Fig. 3, a similar view, showing the gate held in open position upon the ground; and Fig. 4, a modification of the automatic supporting and releasing device for the gate.

The horizontal bars or rails a are pivoted or loose-jointed at each end between vertical double bars I), and to similar bars 0 in the middle of their length, giving them freedom of movement upon the pivots and forming the gateframe, which is hinged in the usual manner to a post of the fence, so as to swing in being opened and closed.

Various devices of swinging links and arms have been attached to such gates for supporting the swinging end at any desired height above the ground, to avoid difficult-y from sag ging and adapt the gate for the passage of small stock without opening it, to prevent the passage oflarger stock; and it is only the specific means for rendering such supporting device self-acting in its holding and releasing function-that is in the function of a hanging link or arm-to maintain a position in relation to the horizontal bars of the gate by means of a slot in one of said bars to actin being locked with the gate to support it, or to release such look by raising and lowering the gate, and in which the raising of the gate will release its supporting-lock and the lowering of the gate will again lock it or prevent it from being looked, as may be desired.

A link or arm, d, is pivoted to one of the upper bars at or near the middle vertical bars, so as to hang down with a suitable slant toward the swinging end of the gate, and at this end is passed through a horizontal slot, 6, in the bar, so as to confine it therein. This slot is of a width to allow of the free sliding movement therein of the end of the link, and its upper edge has notches n a suitable distance apart, adapted to receive and hold the link when supporting the gate. The slot has a length sufficient to allow of the sliding movement of the link therein to suit the highest point at which it is desired to hold the gate. Thenotches may be formed on the under edge of the bar and the slot 0 made by a strip or cleat, e, nailed or screwed onto said bar, or the notches and slot may be formed in a casting secured to the side of the bar, so as to bringv the slot below it. In either case the function of the slot will be the same in retaining the link in such relation to the notches, which must be on the upper edge of said slot, that when the gate is raised the lower end of the link rests upon the lower edge of the slot and slides forward therein, and when the gate is let go the link will catch in the notch immediately behind its end and support the gate at that point without having to take hold of and adjust the link.

Should it be desired to lower the gate upon the ground to hold it partially open, it is raised to release the link and then lowered slowly, so that the link rests upon and slides backward over the lower edge of the slot, or the link, when released, may be caught into a notch in lowering the gate quickly, and thus support it at a height for ordinary use, so that the function of the slot renders the link a self-acting sustaining-brace for a swinging gate adapted to be adjusted to support its latch end.

We have stated that the slot is of a width to allow 01' the free sliding movement therein of the end of the link, and it will be understood that the width of said slot is such as to confine the end of the link in close proximity to its notched edge, so as to render the operation of the link automatic in raising and lowering the gate.

l/Ve do not claim a notched bar and sustaining-link adapted to hold the swinging end of an adjustable gate of loose-jointed bars in a raised position by means of notches on the under edge of one of the horizontal gate-bars, as this is not new; but in such construction the sustaining-link requires to be placed by hand into the notches for the purpose stated. By our improvement this hand operation is avoided and the function of said holding-link is rendered automatic by the act of raising and lowering the gate, and the construction by which this is efl'ected is the improvement we claim in such gate.

We claim- An adjustable swinging gate having one of its loosely-pivoted bars a provided with a narrow slot, 0, asdcscribed, the upper edge of which is notched, and having a depending link the lower end of which is confined within said slot with freedom to slide therein clear of said notches as the swinging end of the gate is raised and lowered, and to be automatically engaged with and released from said notches, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT LEONIDAS BAKER. D. B. JACKSON. Witnesses:

PIERCE BURTON, J AMES SHAW. 

